Norwegian progressive metal band Leprous are the embodiment of being progressive. With each successive album they push their musical boundaries. Coal, their latest album, may well be their finest effort to date. Einar Solberg (keyboards/vocals) certainly shares this sentiment and he’s more than happy to share his thoughts on anything Leprous.
How’s the feedback on Coal been so far?
The feedback has been really good so far. When we were recording the album we expected mixed reactions to be honest. Coal is a very different compared to Biliteral, so it could go both ways really. We released a track from the new album some time ago and the feedback from our fans has been phenomenal. Let’s hope it will continue like that, haha.
In what way is Coal a progression from Biliteral?
Coal is a much more mature album in a way. Our previous album was really playful in nature and we tried many different things within the songs themselves. On the new album the mood and the atmosphere within the individual tracks is more the focus point and it’s less about technique and playing everything perfectly. We wanted to emphasise the character of each individual track. In my view Coal is more subtle and it digs deeper than our previous album. I can understand why people prefer Biliteral over the new album, because of its youthful charm and energy. However, I feel Coal is more cohesive as a whole.
Honesty is another key element of Coal. Care to explain?
Yes, it’s another big difference between this album and Bilateral. The new album is less thought out and more of a spontaneous affair. In contrast our previous album was conceived over a three year period and we worked really slowly on it. By the time we entered the studio everything was completely set in place. When we recorded Coal there were way more loose ends, which we had to finish in the studio. For instance, when I recorded my vocals, I had some vocal lines, but I didn’t have a clue with to do with them. This made me quite nervous, so Vegard (Tveitan/Ihsahn, producer) made me dig really deep to come up with new ideas on how to use my vocals. It was quite an emotional process for me, so in that way Coal is a deeper and more honest effort. It was also a very intense process, because we only had four months to write and record the album.
Is this something you’d like to do in future albums?
It’s hard to say, but I think it’s good to push yourself with each successive new album. We could easily use another year to work on Coal, but it wouldn’t have made it a better album in my opinion. If we spent more time on it, it would kill the spontaneity and lose its character. We’ll use parts of this working method for the next album. One thing is for sure, it will be very different from Coal. It’s very important for us as a band not to repeat ourselves and we want to give each album its own individual voice and character.
Ihsahn and his wife Heidi were a big part of the overall recording process. What did they bring to the table?
Vegard (Ihsahn) is really good at creating the right atmosphere for us to be creative and make us feel comfortable. He has a lot of interesting ideas and he’s really easy to work with. Most of the guitar parts were recorded at home and re-amped later in the studio. The vocals were recorded in the studio, mostly with Heidi. She acted as a vocal coach in a way. She’s actually my sister, so she really knows how to get the best out of me. If I had to do the whole process on my own I wouldn’t be so motivated to try different ideas. Both Vegard and Heidi were instrumental for the whole process, especially for the vocals. The keyboard parts were actually recorded at home. A friend of mine, who plays in a band called Loch Vostok, came over with lots of analog equipment. We tried different things during the weekend. I spend a lot more time on the keyboard for this album, than I did on Bilateral.
Leprous also doubles as Ihsahn’s backing band and there are also quite a lot of similarities between your music and his solo stuff. Are you afraid that things may become too entangled at one point?
No, I don’t think so. As a band we have a very different approach writing music compared to him. We compose as a band and he likes to sit alone in his studio and work on his music. Of course you can hear certain similarities in the music, because we know each other so well and we play on each other’s records. Moreover he comes from a black metal background and we’re more of prog rock/metal orientated band. It’s not much of a concern for us to be honest.
Progressive rock/metal is a term that’s used very casually for every band with a more complex and technical approach to their music. How do you see things?
Progressive rock/metal as a label doesn’t really mean much to me. It’s a term that is used to reach a certain audience. What matters to me in the music there’s something true and sincere in there. Being “progressive” to me means that you try push your musical boundaries as a musician and a band and that you’re genuinely are seeking for news ways to keep your music fresh and exciting. Sadly many “progressive” bands are merely copying Dream Theater. Bands that I personally consider “progressive” are Enslaved, (early) Mastodon, Porcupine Tree and Radiohead. They’re not really technical and they don’t use odd time signatures, but they always manage to come up with something completely new and experimental with each successive album. Being progressive is more like an attitude to me than necessarily playing complex and technical music.
Finally, what touring plans do you guys have for the rest of this year?
Very big plans… We’re going to play on lots of festivals this summer both as Leprous and as Ihsahn’s backing band. Festivals hire us as a package on many occasions. In the fall there’s a really long Leprous tour in the works with 42 dates throughout Europe.
Raymond Westland